An in-vehicle sensor (1) mounted on a vehicle VE and connected to a communication bus CAN including a bus connection connector (40) for connection to the CAN and external terminals (T3, T4) for communication, and one or a plurality of external terminals (T5, T6) for setting each brought into either of a first connection state not connected to any potential and a second connection state connected to a ground potential GND; a judgment section S1-S4, S5-S7 for setting whether the connection state is the first connection state or the second connection state; and an identifier setting section S8 which sets an identifier ID of the in-vehicle sensor (1) used on the communication bus CAN based on the judged connection state(s) for setting of the one or plurality of external terminals (T5, T6).
Legal claims defining the scope of protection. Each claim is shown in both the original legal language and a plain English translation.
1. An in-vehicle sensor which is to be mounted on a vehicle and is to be connected to a communication bus constructed in the vehicle, comprising: a bus connection connector used for connection to the communication bus and including one or a plurality of communication external terminals to be connected to a communication line of the communication bus through which communication data flow, and one or a plurality of external terminals for setting each brought into a connection state which is either of a first connection state in which it is not connected to any potential outside the in-vehicle sensor and a second connection state in which it is connected to a ground potential outside the in-vehicle sensor; a judgment section which judges for the one or plurality of external terminals for setting whether the connection state is the first connection state or the second connection state; an identifier setting section which sets an identifier of the in-vehicle sensor used on the communication bus on the basis of the judged connection state(s) of the one or plurality of external terminals for setting; and a microprocessor having an input signal port to which an input signal is input.
An in-vehicle sensor mounts on a vehicle and connects to a communication bus like CAN. It has a connector to the bus with communication terminals. It also has setting terminals that can be either unconnected (first state) or connected to ground (second state). A circuit judges whether each setting terminal is in the first or second state. Based on these states, a section sets a unique identifier for the sensor on the communication bus. The sensor includes a microprocessor with an input port to receive input signals.
2. An in-vehicle sensor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the judgment section comprises: a level generation circuit which is connected to the external terminal for setting and the input signal port and generates the input signal whose voltage level depends on the connection state of the external terminal for setting; and a level judgment section which judges, on the basis of the voltage level of the input signal input to the input signal port, whether the connection state of the external terminal for setting is the first connection state or the second connection state.
The in-vehicle sensor includes a level generation circuit. This circuit connects to the setting terminal and the input signal port of the microprocessor. It generates an input signal whose voltage depends on whether the setting terminal is connected to ground or not. A level judgment section then determines, based on the voltage of the input signal, whether the setting terminal is in the unconnected state or the grounded state. This informs the microprocessor of the configuration set by the external terminals, allowing it to set the sensor's identifier.
3. An in-vehicle sensor as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising a potential generation section which generates a constant potential for judgment, wherein the level generation circuit connects the external terminal for setting to the potential for judgment through a resistor, and generates the input signal through use of the potential of the external terminal for setting.
The in-vehicle sensor further includes a potential generation section that creates a stable voltage for determining the state of the setting terminal. The level generation circuit connects the setting terminal to this stable voltage through a resistor. By measuring the voltage at the input signal port, the system can determine if the setting terminal is floating (unconnected) or grounded, because grounding it will change the voltage level. This voltage difference is then used to judge the connection state.
4. An in-vehicle sensor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the microprocessor has an output signal port from which an output signal is output, and wherein the judgment section comprises: an input generation circuit which is connected to the external terminal for setting, the input signal port, and the output signal port and which generates, as the input signal, a first input signal when the connection state of the external terminal for setting is the first connection state or a second input signal when the connection state of the external terminal for setting is the second connection state, at least one of the first and second input signals changing in response to a change in the output signal, and the first and second input signals being different from each other; an output changing section which changes the output signal output from the output signal port; and a response judgment section which judges whether the connection state of the external terminal for setting is the first connection state or the second connection state through use of a response of the input signal input to the input signal port to the change of the output signal.
In this in-vehicle sensor design, the microprocessor has an output signal port. An input generation circuit connects to the setting terminal, the input signal port, and the output signal port. The circuit generates one of two input signals based on the setting terminal state: one for unconnected, and another for grounded. At least one of these input signals changes when the output signal changes. An output changing section changes the signal from the output port, and a response judgment section monitors the input signal's response to the output signal change to determine whether the setting terminal is in the unconnected or grounded state.
5. An in-vehicle sensor as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the input generation circuit is a circuit which connects the input signal port to the external terminal for setting and connects the input signal port to the output signal port through a resistor.
In the in-vehicle sensor, the input generation circuit connects the input signal port to the external setting terminal and to the output signal port via a resistor. By observing how the input signal changes when the output signal changes, the system infers the state of the external terminal (connected to ground or not). The resistor helps create a voltage divider, and the response of this voltage to changes in the output signal indicates the connection state.
6. An in-vehicle sensor system comprising a plurality of in-vehicle sensors as claimed in claim 1 and the communication bus to which the in-vehicle sensors are connected, the in-vehicle sensor system including a plurality of connection paths which connect the in-vehicle sensors to the communication bus and each of which includes a sensor connection connector provided for each of the plurality of in-vehicle sensors and mated with the bus connection connector of the corresponding in-vehicle sensor, wherein each of the plurality of connection paths includes a connection path for communication for connecting the one or plurality of communication external terminals of the bus connection connector to the communication line of the communication bus, and one or a plurality of setting paths each of which prevents the external terminal for setting from being connected to any potential or connects the external terminal for setting to the ground potential to thereby set the connection state of the external terminal for setting to the first connection state or the second connection state, wherein the one or plurality of setting paths differ among the connection paths in terms of the connection states of the external terminals for setting set by the setting paths or a combination thereof, whereby the identifiers of all the in-vehicle sensors are made different from one another.
An in-vehicle sensor system includes multiple in-vehicle sensors and a communication bus (like CAN). The sensors connect to the bus via connection paths, each with a sensor connection connector. Each path has a communication connection to the bus and one or more setting paths. These setting paths either leave the setting terminal unconnected or connect it to ground. Crucially, the setting paths differ between the connection paths, resulting in unique combinations of setting terminal states for each sensor. This ensures that each sensor has a unique identifier on the communication bus, as their identifiers are based on these setting terminal configurations.
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May 15, 2014
May 23, 2017
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